Season 3 will tell the story of a macabre crime in the heart of the Ozarks and a mystery that deepens over decades and plays out in three separate time periods. Ali will play the lead role of Wayne Hays, a state police detective from northwest Arkansas.

Dorff will play Wayne’s partner Roland West, an Arkansas State Investigator who, along with his partner, has his life and career influenced over three decades by a baffling crime.

As with the breakout original installment of True Detective, Pizzolatto is the sole writer of the third season with the exception of Episode 4, which he co-wrote with David Milch. Jeremy Saulnier is the Season 3 director alongside Pizzolatto, who will make his directorial debut.

Pizzolatto, who also serves as showrunner, executive produces with Saulnier and returning executive producers Scott Stephens; Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, who toplined Season 1; Cary Joji Fukunaga, who directed Season 1; along with Scott Stephens, Steve Golin, Bard Dorros and Richard Brown.

Dorff’s most recent credits include the feature Wheeler, the story of an aspiring musician from Texas who travels to Nashville with the lifelong dream of trying his hand at country music. Dorff wrote and co-directed the project and wrote and performed all of the music. He also recurred as Brody Dean on Fox’s Star and recently was cast in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel Leatherface.

Dorff is repped by Paradigm and attorney Adam Kaller. Ejogo is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and Conway Van Gelder Grant in the UK. Ali and Pizzolatto are repped by WME and Anonymous Content.